Would a skit on a deaf politician - where 90% of the attempted humor revolved around the politician saying "Huh? What?" when others tried to talk to him - be funny? Or innovative? Or creative?

Would a skit on a Jewish person with a cold - where 90% of the attempted humor revolved around how having a big nose leads to messy sneezes - be funny? Or innovative? Or creative?

Would a skit about Hispanic Gov. Bill Richardson - where 90% of the attempted humor revolved around his love of bean tacos and stealing hubcaps from gringos - be funny? Or innovative? Or creative?

Just askin'.

I think you're right!

I always wondered why the sight of young ladies in red hoods with picnic baskets would make me suddenly ravenous. And don't get me started on little pigs with chin hairs in straw McMansions!

;-)

The survey said 2 weeks without sex - but nothing about masturbation.

The Internet, you might have heard, has some porn and erotica on it.

Many people (male and female...I know of both) who have secret, usually harmless but deviant desires that they fear would creep out a partner use the Net as a source of libido release.

So given the choice of 2 weeks of no vanilla sex with a convention-only partner VERSUS 2 weeks of no access to the gloriously debaucherous Net, catering to every dirty little sexual whim in existence?

I'll keep my Net access, please. =)

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To Asehpe: I agree with you about driving/your car! Makes it much sweeter if you have a fun-to-drive vehicle as well.

I'm gonna be looking for a used Miata next year (manual tranny, of course). Completely impractical for life in South Dakota - but I can feel the involuntary grin of joy on my face already...

...and yes: driving a sweet ride can be / usually is more fun than sex!

As a rugrat reading this classic, Mr. Toad always stood out to me as the most entertaining, appealing character in the book.

I'm not sure what thay says about me...=)

http://www.lorsonbooksandprints.com/toad_map.jpg

"humiliating the disabled solely BECAUSE they are disabled just ain't funny either, people.

If a deaf person is, say, a micromanager, then making fun of their office management behavior - even savagely - can be funny.

But making fun of them not hearing a phone ring? Lame, asisine and stupid.

You nailed it in a nutshell.

I was never a supporter of Bob Dole...but during those mid-90's SNL political skits parodying him, I give props to Norm MacDonald for not using Dole's disabled arm to try to eek out cheap laughs. Mockin' Dole's weird third-person only references, though, was classic!

If Fred Armisen was the one doing the Dole impression, it would be one tired, lame, humiliation-for-laughs routine just making fun of Dole's arm disability...

Look, he lacks the arm strength to hold this chart up! Laugh now, please!

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To those saying don't be too sensitive: I am a HUGE fan of the Simpsons, South Park and other forms of edge-pushing satirical comedy.

And I have a pretty thick skin and great humor tolerance in general.

But in the same way that "blackface" is not funny, humiliating the disabled just ain't funny either, people.

Fred Armisen plays a deaf guy who can't hear what another cast member says. His deafness renders him an incompetent buffoon.

...and the NEXT time, Fred Armisen plays a person with Down's Syndrome (with appropriate makeup). He drools on himself, picks his nose and happily mumbles, "I'm a tard! I'm special!" His retardedness renders him an incompetent buffoon.

...and the NEXT time, Fred Armisen plays an Iraq vet with no legs in a wheelchair. He starts an office job, only to struggle to get a file from an upper cabinet. Because he is a legless gimp, you see. His disability renders him and incompetent buffoon.

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If karma did indeed exist, Armisen would have concentrated sulfuric acid get splashed into both eyes, rendering him permanently blind. Now I for one would laugh at that! Would you?

And by the way: if Armisen or any other SNL character made fun - and I don't mean parodying or teasing, but actual humiliation-type 2nd grade humor like a blind guy holding a chart upside-down - of an ethnic minority or a gay or lesbian person, would he/they get a free pass?

Of course not. Because we believe that racial minority and GLBT people are worthy of respect.

Disabled people, though? Laugh all you want. Especially if they are deaf, 'cos they can't even hear you.

Hahaha! Funny, right?!?